A seasoned shipping professional and the Executive Director at Seamate Maritime Integrated Services Limited, Captain Ladi Olubowale, has stated that Africa is entering what may become the most transformative maritime era in its modern history.

Olubowale emphasised that although African countries, including Nigeria, are committing billions of dollars to deep seaport development, the lack of strategic national and regional marine fleets could leave foreign shipping operators dominating the value created from Africa’s trade, logistics and maritime activities.

In a statement on Tuesday, Olubowale stated that Seamate Group and other companies have positioned themselves to offer these marine assets with supply value chain platforms.

He maintained that a boom in deep-seaport construction in different parts of Africa is not enough and will definitely not drive the continent’s economic future alone, except through massive investments in strategic marine assets such as vessel acquisition, coastal shipping systems, offshore support fleets, inland waterways logistics, marine engineering capabilities, and cargo distribution networks to sustain trade movement.

Olubowale warned that without these capabilities, ports risk becoming sophisticated gateways operated largely for the benefit of foreign shipping and logistics interests, while African economies capture only a fraction of the long-term value.

He reiterated that this remains the critical challenge shaping Africa’s maritime future, stressing that ports on their own are insufficient to establish maritime strength.

“As Africa accelerates the development of deep seaports and industrial trade corridors, a more strategic question is emerging beyond infrastructure investment: Who will control the marine assets powering Africa’s trade economy? Across the continent, governments are committing billions of dollars toward maritime infrastructure development. From the rapid expansion of deep seaports in Nigeria to emerging deep seaport projects and port modernisation efforts in Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Angola, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa, Africa is entering what may become the most transformative maritime era in its modern history,” he said.

According to him, for many policymakers, these projects symbolise economic growth, industrialisation, regional trade integration, and global competitiveness, stressing that beneath the optimism lies a structural reality that Africa must urgently confront: ports alone do not create maritime power.

“No nation becomes a maritime force simply by constructing terminals and dredging channels. Maritime dominance is built through ownership and control of the strategic assets that sustain trade movement: vessels, coastal shipping systems, offshore support fleets, inland waterways logistics, marine engineering capabilities, cargo distribution networks, and integrated supply chain operations. This is the defining challenge facing Africa’s maritime future,” Olubowale said.

He pointed out that major maritime economies, from Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, China, Norway, Greece, and South Korea, did not become maritime powers solely through infrastructure spending. Rather, their dominance emerged because private sector operators strategically invested in marine assets, shipping capacity, industrial logistics systems, and trade-linked maritime ecosystems.

Olubowale averred that this is a global lesson for Nigeria and other African countries, which they must understand, as “the real economic value in maritime trade is not merely in the port infrastructure itself. It lies in controlling cargo movement.”

Expressing great concern about how Africa will compete with foreign shipping lines in providing marine assets needed by industrial giants to support the African Continental Free Trade Area, Olubowale asserted that Africa’s next economic battle will be fought through logistics.

“Today, Africa stands at a similar crossroads. The implementation of the AfCFTA is reshaping continental commerce. Simultaneously, industrial projects led by African champions such as the Dangote Group are redefining regional manufacturing, energy distribution, and industrial supply chains. The scale of these transformations will generate unprecedented demand for coastal cargo movement, refined petroleum distribution, offshore marine support services, bulk commodity transportation, regional logistics integration, industrial marine supply operations, strategic shipping support infrastructure,” he explained.

“Despite these opportunities, a large portion of Africa’s maritime transport ecosystem remains under external control, with foreign shipping companies continuing to dominate cargo transportation,” he added.

“International marine service operators remain deeply embedded across offshore operations. Large segments of the continent’s logistics architecture still rely heavily on imported operational capacity. This dependence creates long-term economic vulnerabilities,” he stated.

On the way out, Olubowale admitted that Africa requires maritime companies capable of building integrated marine logistics systems, strategic tanker and coastal fleet operations, offshore support infrastructure, port-linked industrial supply chains, inland waterways transportation networks, maritime intelligence and safety systems, trade corridor logistics platforms, and regional marine asset management capabilities.

“As deep seaports expand, the countries and companies that position themselves around marine transportation, trade logistics, offshore operations, and regional cargo systems will become the true beneficiaries of Africa’s economic rise. This is where indigenous maritime companies must begin to think beyond traditional agency operations and transactional shipping services. Critically, it also requires African investors to recognise maritime assets as strategic economic infrastructure rather than simply commercial shipping ventures,” he said.

Oluwole admitted that regulations by the government could not build the industry, but through access to maritime financing, long-term infrastructure partnerships, vessel acquisition support, industrial logistics opportunities, strategic public-private collaboration, policy consistency, and investment protection could build the industry.